This Dance
by Heather Cat
Summary: When Yuffie and Reno meet unexpectedly and something develops, AVALANCHE's reaction will affect everyone.


This Dance  
  
No one thought I was good enough for you  
Except for you  
Don't let them be right  
After all that we've been through  
'Cause somewhere over that rainbow  
There's a place for me  
A place with you  
- I'm About to Come Alive (Train)  
  
Yuffie Kisaragi stood in a ballroom.  
  
It was a large, vaulted hall with a golden marble floor and a domed ceiling suspended high above. Windows looked out onto a cloudy sky from overhead, and to all appearances Yuffie stood staring up into the gray. Walls wrapped around her, far out to each side. They were decorated in gold and red, with murals and elaborate paintings. Everywhere were ornate decorations, gilded and fluted until the hall seemed to cry out wealth and influence. At least, so it should have. But hollow as it was, empty save for Yuffie standing alone and small in the very center, it seemed too large, dark, and strangely sad. It was a place for laughter, dances, and general merrymaking but now it lay sprawled, alone, cold and abandoned with only the memories of warmth.  
  
Yuffie stood, dressed in dark blue jeans and a sleeveless white cotton sweater that contrasted sharply with the formality of the surroundings. Her dark brown hair fell about her shoulders, cut short but longer than it once had been. She looked older, too, though she still had a childish set to her features that would remain with her forever as a token of her Wutaian heritage. Her large violet eyes were carefully blank now, as she gazed upwards, although there was the faintest hint of mist dewed upon her lashes. She stood straight, her back facing the large doors of the hall that lay ever so slightly ajar.  
  
She stood, feeling a million things. Fear and compassion, rejection and acceptance, despair and hope. And still, she stood silently, always staring up.  
  
(¯`·._.·[Flashback]·._.·´¯)  
  
Why was she even here? She certainly didn't belong here. Cloud and Tifa had dragged her along without even having the courtesy of bringing someone else to share her suffering. Argh. She hated these stupid social functions, with all the self-important people and god-awfully painful heels that she inevitably had to put on. And the dress... She ALWAYS had to wear the dress. As a trained ninja, to Yuffie there was something inherently wrong with the picture of her wearing a skirt, no matter how short. One of these days a party was going to be ransacked by some evil thing or other, and when she couldn't save the day because she'd been wearing something stupid, then they'd get what they deserved. She smiled grimly at the thought, and happily imagined the hostess being devoured by an ochu.  
  
Yuffie stood near the punch table, dressed in straight emerald green dress, chosen for her by Tifa, that came down to mid calf. She also had matching heels. Bored, feeling misplaced and awkward, she sipped carefully at the red punch someone had handed her. It wasn't even as if anyone had danced with her, or even attempted to ease her suffering. Staring towards the floor with a sort of absent pout, Yuffie leaned her weight onto her left leg to somewhat ease her aching foot. What was she supposed to be? The freak loner in the socialite crowd? Just because you'd helped save the world didn't automatically mean you enjoyed spending hours in a crowded room on slowly dying feet. Some days it just seemed as if she were never meant to get a break.  
  
She still couldn't understand why Tifa and Cloud couldn't bring somebody else on their little torture-fest. She felt as comfortable here as Cloud did in a room with Johnny or Priscilla. Heh. That was a good one. Maybe if she threw it at Tifa when she was in one of her emotional moods she'd get the point and let the poor teenager put away the pointy shoes, if only for a little while. Yuffie knew that Tifa didn't enjoy these occasions nearly so much as she pretended, even for the much more mature woman they were still tedious gatherings that necessity claimed they must endure. Still, thought Yuffie darkly, they might have bothered to bring her someone she could talk to, since they seemed to be practically joined at the hip these days. Cid, for example. She would love to spend one of these evenings with Cid, just so she could hear his take on the whole thing. Then again, she'd die if Cid ever saw her wearing a dress. But right at this moment, Yuffie was convinced that she'd even settle for Vincent. Heaving another melodramatic sigh, she leaned against the wall next to the table and continued to glower at the happily dancing couples.  
  
"May I have this dance?"  
  
Totally caught off guard, Yuffie whirled around to stare non- comprehendingly at the man in front of her.  
  
"W-what?"  
  
He sighed dramatically before running a hand through bright red hair and giving her a secretive grin.  
  
"I asked you if I could have this dance. I thought maybe the gentlemanly approach might work, but it's really not my thing."  
  
Still confused, Yuffie continued to stare at him in shock.  
  
"Reno...!?"  
  
"That's right babe. Nice to know I'm memorable." He smiled again and winked. "Women are always telling me that they've seen me before somewhere, usually in their dreams." The line had no effect on Yuffie, and Reno faltered.  
  
"Fine, I know, I haven't forgotten you either. You're the AVALANCHE ninja girl."  
  
"Yuffie," she inserted, automatically.  
  
"Yuffie, right. Well anyway, I got it. I'm a Turk, or at least I was, and you'd never hang around with scum of the universe like me. Don't worry, don't say it, I'll bugger off."  
  
Scowling vaguely now, Reno jammed his hands into his black jacket pockets. He wore a dark tux; unlike anything Yuffie could ever imagine the redheaded Turk she had once known ever wearing. She could only remember a crumpled blue suit and dark sunglasses. The black, and not to mention the lack of creases, was new, and she had to admit it was a drastic improvement. Only his hair remained unchanged. She watched, still speechless, as he turned and began to stalk off. Thinking quickly, she acted.  
  
Reno felt the hand grab hold of his arm, and he turned around to face her again. This time his face was serious, no hint of the patented smirk.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry I ruined your party. I'm leaving. Just please don't tell Spike and his grafted on attachment over there that you saw me. I'm not here looking for trouble."  
  
Now Yuffie shook her head, trying to mimic his dead serious air and failing miserably.  
  
"I won't tell them. Now, come on."  
  
"H-huh? Wha-?"  
  
For the first time in a long while, Reno found himself not only lacking a smooth line, but any kind of comprehension at all. All he had time to do was raise an eyebrow before Yuffie took off, still holding on to his arm.  
  
"What are you doing!?"  
  
"You asked me if I wanted to dance. And I do."  
  
Reno blinked as he found himself towed into the middle of the dance floor. Yuffie looked around for Cloud and Tifa, but they were nowhere to be seen. With a quick smile, Yuffie pushed all thoughts of shoes out of her head and concentrated on getting lost in the crowd. It was a large dance hall, a brand new one built in Kalm especially for this occasion, and there were many guests so it was not hard to slip into the center of the floor. Everyone was here to see Cloud and Tifa anyway, so they would never notice the small ninja.  
  
Reaching a satisfactory spot, Yuffie stopped abruptly and Reno almost ran into her. Turning to face him, she smiled before taking his hand, and letting him fold his other arm around her. He was much taller than her, but with the god-forsaken heels the distance was minimalized ever so slightly. He was still slightly confused about the unexpected turn of events, but shaking it off he guided Yuffie into the dance.  
  
It was a new waltz, popular in Midgar before Meteor and Holy had reduced the city to rubble. Yuffie was unfamiliar with the particular steps, being more comfortable with traditional Wutaian ones, but after all these aggravating parties she knew the general formula and was able to follow along without too much problem. To her surprise, Reno was a good dancer. He knew how to dance, and he did it with none of the self-conscious stiffness that usually marked the upper class society that came to these balls. He moved carefully, guiding her feet when need be, but he did everything with a practiced ease that made her fall right into the dance. It seemed effortless when he did it, all the timed motions that she had practiced so long to grasp, back in her days at the pagoda.  
  
The music slowed somewhat, and Reno pulled her in close. They danced on, still quiet, but finally Yuffie had to look up at him with all her amusement and intrigue showing in her eyes. Afterwards Reno would say only that he felt her looking at him, and that was why he looked down and met her gaze. Blue met brown, and Yuffie couldn't stop the smile. Reno looked a little taken aback.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"Oh, nothing." They danced on for a moment, and then, "You're a good dancer, you know."  
  
He laughed quietly.  
  
"Thanks, I think. Back when I worked for Shinra, we were expected to go to the big parties and give everyone the right impression." He said the last with some distaste. "I suppose even dancing can come in handy sometimes."  
  
"Why are you here now?" She blurted it out, unable to stop herself.  
  
"Just because." He answered coolly, getting something of his grin back when Yuffie wrinkled her nose at him. She fought back the urge to stick out her tongue.  
  
"I mean it. Why would you come to one of these if you didn't have to? Me, I'm only here because I was forced on pain of death." He laughed again, a warm laugh.  
  
"Pain of death, huh? Sounds serious. But me, well, actually I guess you could say I'm here at sword point as well."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yup. See, Elena has this whole complex, where she wants us to work to give back everything we took. Personally I don't think it'll ever happen, but that's life. If it'll save me from Elena, then I'll play along."  
  
"What? What'll never happen?"  
  
"I dunno; forgiveness, acceptance. It's something you read about in books, not real life. Speaking of... why are you dancing with me? I'd say you fell for me looks and charm, but I'm trying not to push it. Are you trying to settle a score with Spike or something?"  
  
"What? No! Why would you think that!?"  
  
"Maybe it's the whole fact that I'm an ex-Turk, and I tried to kill you multiple times? Ring any bells?"  
  
"Yeah. So?"  
  
"So...? Umm... What?"  
  
"That's what I said. So what? Who cares if you were a Turkey? I don't. I was tired of standing by myself, and since I had so many people just begging me to dance with them..." She trailed off, catching the odd look he was giving her.  
  
"You really don't care? After everything?"  
  
"No, I really don't."  
  
"Huh. Well, you're one of a kind babe, I'll give you that much. Other people don't forgive and forget quite so easily. Take Spike for example. If he saw me dancing with you right now I'd be leaving this room in a body bag."  
  
"Cloud and Tifa will understand one day, I know they will. They just need some more time."  
  
"That's one thing I've got plenty of. But I still don't think you're right. Spike holds grudges, and even if he were the most reasonable guy in the world, I still think he'd bash my head in on sight. I'm also not sure I'd blame him."  
  
"Ouch, that's harsh. I'll be the first to say Cloud doesn't always think things through, but I still don't think he'd resent giving any of you a second chance. I mean, I don't know everything about you, but even if I did, I still would've danced with you."  
  
Slowly the song wound to a close and Reno and Yuffie stepped apart. The crowd began to part, and Yuffie knew that they didn't have much time. Reno just smiled.  
  
"Thanks babe, you made my night."  
  
For just a second he grabbed hold of her hand, and she felt it warmly, pressed against her own. She also felt him press something into her palm as he let go and began to turn to leave. As he started to walk away, he looked over his shoulder, his grin back for good.  
  
"By the way, you look good in a dress."  
  
Before she could snarl something back at him, the crowd passed between and he disappeared from view.  
  
"Call me sometime!" Was all she heard as his feet and the crowd carried him away.  
  
Looking down at her hand, Yuffie cautiously opened her fingers to reveal a carefully folded piece of paper. Somewhat wearily, she unfolded the thin, crumpled paper. Then she stared. Scrawled almost illegibly on a napkin from the punch table in black ink was a phone number.  
  
(¯`·._.·[Flashback]·._.·´¯)  
  
"I can't believe the odds! You guys meeting at that horrible ball!" Elena laughed.  
  
"I know! Except what I can't believe is that Reno had the nerve to give me his phone number afterwards." Yuffie joined in laughing too. "I'm glad he did though."  
  
"Hey! Of course you are. Where would you be without me?" Reno sat at a small bar table next to Yuffie, his arm wrapped around her. Elena sat across from them on a bar stool and Rude was not far away, wiping down the counters. It was empty except for them, closed for the night even though all the lights were still on.  
  
"Where would I be without you? Probably at another party." She feigned horror. "Cloud and Tifa have no idea where I am."  
  
"You still haven't told them, have you?" Reno asked, though with a hint of humor. "You know I was right, admit it."  
  
Elena gave them a quizzical look.  
  
"Right about what?"  
  
"Reno and I have been arguing ever since that stupid dance about whether or not Cloud will kill him on first sight. I still say he'll wait until after Reno's opened his mouth."  
  
"Yuffie! I'm hurt!" Reno put his free hand to his heart and put on his most pained expression. Both Elena and Yuffie giggled. Elena exchanged a conspiratorial glance with Yuffie as Rude came to sit by her.  
  
"We both know it's true. How long d'you give him? I'll place my money on four and a half minutes." Yuffie tried to keep a straight face.  
  
"...Put me down for three." Rude smiled slightly, and Yuffie burst out laughing.  
  
"Fine, fine. I see I'm not appreciated here!" With some regret, Reno disentangled himself from Yuffie and stood up. "I'll just have to go where I'm wanted."  
  
With that he gave them a small wave and made for one of the side doors of the kitchen. It swung open, then closed behind him, and then Reno was gone. Yuffie watched him leave before turning to Elena and Rude.  
  
"Where'd he go? 'Where he's wanted'?"  
  
Elena started to laugh before she'd even started speaking.  
  
"To the kitchen! It's his turn to do the dishes!"  
  
This time everyone joined in laughing, and Yuffie realized she was feeling something that she'd only ever felt in one other place before. With AVALANCHE. It felt like... home. Elena just shook her head, still smiling and leaned forward.  
  
"You know he's totally in love with you, right?"  
  
"Well he should be," returned Yuffie, matching the smile. Even as she said it though, she saw that Elena wasn't joking. "I... don't know."  
  
"I've known him for a while now, though not as long as you, Rude, and I can honestly say I've never seen him like this before."  
  
"It's true." Rude nodded his head towards the kitchen door. "I've never seen him so... happy."  
  
"See?" Elena slid over to sit beside Yuffie. "If Rude says so it must be true. And it's so cute to be around Reno these days; he's almost like a different guy. Besides, now you're one of us."  
  
Yuffie blinked and let the statement slide through her, sink into her. She looked at both Elena and Rude, smiling happily in this small bar they'd worked until it'd almost killed them to get. And it felt right. Right here, right now, Yuffie felt like there was no place on the Planet she'd rather be.  
  
(¯`·._.·[Flashback]·._.·´¯)  
  
"Yuffie..."  
  
The young ninja looked at her new watch, and sighed. It was almost time. There were butterflies in her stomach, and she felt a little sick. She couldn't begin to imagine how Reno must be feeling right about now. She turned to him now, saw his paler than normal face, and all she wanted was to hold him tightly until this was over. Everything would turn out all right; she'd told herself that so many times. But it was just about the moment of truth, and despite all her previous confidence all Yuffie wanted to do was turn and run.  
  
But Reno stayed, and because he was here for her she would stay too. He stood a little too straight, and there was even a vague semblance of neatness to his hair. It unnerved her. His dark blue eyes glittered, afraid but unwilling to back down. She had faced Sephiroth down with fewer nerves, but down now that she had to confront her friends she couldn't contain the fear. But Reno... Too much was riding on this, for both of them, to just run away now. The truth had to be told. A few of them had already guessed; Tifa and Red certainly.  
  
She knew they only wanted the best for her, that they were worried about her, but that wasn't helping at the moment. Tifa had come to Yuffie just as she was about to slip off to the bar where she spent most of her time, and had tried to get her to tell the truth. She'd known for a long time, of course, that they'd have to be told. She just hadn't expected it to be this hard.  
  
Clenching her fist unconsciously, Yuffie looked at her watch one last time. One minute until three, until they were expected, until they would have to go in. She looked up at Reno, and suppressed the sudden urge to cry. He was watching her, and he looked very afraid. She nodded, and he knew they had to go.  
  
"Yuffie..." He repeated again.  
  
She couldn't contain it. Whatever she felt didn't matter right now, didn't compare to her compassion for Reno. She suddenly darted forward, into his arms and held him as tightly as she could.  
  
"Reno... It's going to be okay," she whispered. For just a moment, she felt his arms tighten around her even more, before he let her go. They held each other's eyes for a moment before turning towards the big door that led to the greeting hall of the Icicle Village hall where waited AVALANCHE. Holding hands tightly, they moved to open the door.  
  
(¯`·._.·[Flashback]·._.·´¯)  
  
Yuffie looked around at all the faces, every one of them staring blankly back at her, non-comprehending. Her chin was held high, and she stood beside Reno with a dangerous glint in her eyes. All around her there was silence.  
  
"If any one of you has a problem, I will personally kick his or her ass until there is no longer a problem."  
  
More silence. Yuffie nodded, a hard set to her eyes that not one of them there had ever seen before. Risking a glance at Reno who hadn't moved, she took a deep breath. Her hands were held tightly by her side to conceal the fact they were shaking.  
  
Abruptly, there was noise.  
  
"Yuffie, you can't be serious." Cloud's voice was flat, monotone. It was a statement of fact and not a question.  
  
"Oh really? I'm old enough to make my own choices Cloud! You might think I'm a stupid little klepto brat, and hey, I probably am, but this is my life!"  
  
"Don't try to guilt trip us. He's a Turk Yuffie!"  
  
"And he's standing right here, dammit! I care about him and no matter what you say, nothing will change that!" The slight tremor in her voice went unnoticed to all but Reno.  
  
"You know who he is! What he did!" Suddenly everyone was yelling, even Tifa.  
  
"It's impossible to love a monster like that!" That snarl from Cloud sent Yuffie careening into Reno. They found themselves in the center of the group, and despite previous bravado they clung tightly together.  
  
"Get away from her!" Cid grabbed hold of Reno's shoulder and tried to drag him away from Yuffie. He didn't succeed. The anger and dangerous heat in the room astounded the young ninja; she couldn't understand.  
  
"Murderer, bastard!" Barret moved in to help Cid, and with little effort he flung Yuffie away into Reeve who was pale and upset. "You idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Stop!"  
  
Yuffie tried to fight her way back to Reno but Cloud and Reeve held her back. Reeve's face betrayed his conflicted emotions. Red XIII was sitting growling on the sidelines, though at whom was not clear. Cloud was still yelling.  
  
"He's a TURK, Yuffie! How could you be so stupid!? He's a thief, a spy, and a killer!"  
  
"Damn right he is," Growled Barret. "You killed all those people in Sector 7! Biggs, Wedge, Jessie! You never gave a damn 'bout no one but yourself! Shinra dog! You deserve everything you get!" Barret started to raise his gun-arm, but Cid stuck out his hand to stop him.  
  
"No you don't. I owe him a little pay back for what Shinra did to me myself." His spear was in his hand. Only Reeve grabbing hold of both of them saved Reno. Cloud didn't try to stop it either way; his eyes were blazing.  
  
"It's him or us, Yuffie!"  
  
"Stop... please..." Yuffie's sobs suddenly became audible.  
  
Everyone turned to Yuffie, the obstinate, often bratty teenager that they knew and loved gone, dissolved in the moment. It took her a minute to realize that it was now silent, and when she did she looked around.  
  
Everyone was here, and everyone was a member of AVALANCHE. She was a member. As she looked from face to face, her own tearstained, she remembered everything every one of them had ever meant to her. But Cloud was their leader, and Cloud had spoken. Perhaps someone would take her side and try to sway Cloud, but they would take whatever Cloud decided. 'It's him or us, Yuffie!' Words rang in her head, and temporarily frozen, she turned to Reno. And her heart broke.  
  
He was looking at her now, just like all the others, but he never could hide what he was feeling from her. There was no hope in those eyes, only dark certainty and the acceptance of the fact that she would never choose him. She could see that he didn't hate her for it either; there was still only love in that look even though he was sure she would abandon him. Unable to stand it another second, she broke away. Eyes first, but quickly followed by the rest of her. Crying like she'd never thought she could, Yuffie ran out of the hall and no one moved to stop her.  
  
After another moment of silence, Reno ran after her knowing that no one would try to stop him.  
  
(¯`·._.·[Flashback]·._.·´¯)  
  
They sat on a dark hillside, together, staring out at the stars. Yuffie's head was on Reno's shoulder and his arm tightly around her. The night wind ruffled the grass around them, and Yuffie reached up to brush an errant strand of hair behind her ear. She was a little cold, but with Reno beside her, she wasn't afraid of the chill. Instead she just stared out over the plain dotted with clumps of early May flowers. High above, the stars shone and sparkled even more beautifully then either of them remembered. Yuffie watched, trying to lose herself in the night and forget about the morning that would surely follow it. Reno was watching too, but he took in every little detail, every whisper and every hint of color or warmth, and stored them in his heart so he would always have them.  
  
"Reno...?" Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.  
  
"Yeah? What is it babe?"  
  
"Let's go somewhere else. Far away."  
  
"Somewhere else? But what about-"  
  
"Just the two of us. Maybe we could come back someday, in a few years, but we'd have to stay away for a long time."  
  
Reno was silent. He just stared up at the stars, wishing.  
  
"Think of all the places we could go, all the things we could see. Then no one would know us, and we could always be together."  
  
"You want to go back and visit Wutai, right?" Reno's voice was quiet too, and softer than normal. He dreamed too. "We could see the pagoda, Da Chao, Turtle's Paradise..." This earned him a weak laugh. "After that we could go to Costa Del Sol, Icicle Village, wherever."  
  
"That's right. Just you and me. We'll have to avoid Cosmo Canyon, but..." Here her voice caught. "But we could go to Goldsaucer, see the sights... Just you and me..."  
  
She began to cry again, and Reno held her tightly, wishing that the dream were real. Yuffie saw everything they could have, and knew it was a lie.  
  
"I can't... I just can't! I can't go!"  
  
Reno bent forward a little and leaned his head against hers. He whispered softly to her, wishing the dream would never end.  
  
"Ssh... Please don't cry... It'll be okay, Yuff, you'll see. Everything'll be okay..."  
  
* * * *  
  
They were waiting in the front entrance, but for now Yuffie stood alone in the ball room where she'd first looked up to see Reno, grinning at her. She stared up at the gray sky. They were waiting for her to make the impossible choice because they loved her and they thought they knew what was best for her. And inside Yuffie was dying. She stared up, trying to forget the door behind her and knowing at the same time that she couldn't hide here forever.  
  
She'd left Reno asleep at dawn, and had made her way back into town. A quick message to Tifa, saying she would meet them in three hours, and then down here to wait and to search for an answer she would never find. Always she looked up.  
  
Quietly at first, but louder as they grew closer, Yuffie heard footsteps ringing against the marble. Even the softest steps echoed in the cavernous hall now that it was empty. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was, but she couldn't help it. Turn she did. Reno stood there, eyes even darker than normal from lack of sleep and red hair tied back in his typical ineffectual ponytail. He stood tall and thin, wearing a black turtleneck and dark blue jeans. Yuffie was never sure why this seemed important, but it did. He watched her, and she wanted to be in his arms again but knew she could not cross. When he spoke it startled her.  
  
"You know I love you, right?"  
  
Yuffie couldn't speak for a moment.  
  
"...Yeah."  
  
"Then that's all that matters, no matter what you choose."  
  
Yuffie suddenly felt the tears burning her eyes again, but she swallowed hard and blinked them back.  
  
"Reno, I-"  
  
"I know babe, I know."  
  
As a sudden picture of the door closing behind him flashed past her eye, Yuffie felt the desperation rise at the back of her throat until she couldn't contain the panic.  
  
"I can't do this."  
  
"I know." And he did know, she could see it in his eyes.  
  
She looked down as if to stare at the floor, but slowly closed her eyes.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Reno said nothing.  
  
Minutes passed that lasted hours.  
  
Finally, Reno stepped forward. Yuffie's head snapped up, surprised by the movement, and she stared at him. Slowly, he reached out his left hand. Slowly, he reached out his left hand, something closed tightly within it. Hesitantly, Yuffie extended her own hand, and took the small weight.  
  
"Call me sometime."  
  
Hands trembling, Yuffie opened the paper. On it was a phone number that had been smudged into a black smear by countless tiny watermarks.  
  
~A/N: Well... More than a little sad. I would've posted this quite a while ago, but I've been agonizing over the ending for weeks. Originally I wanted to end it with Reno asking Yuffie to dance, but the story just seemed to want to end this way. Sigh. Anyway, thanks for reading guys. If Yuffie and Reno seemed a little OOC I'm sorry; it's just kinda the way I see them reacting in this kind of situation. I also think AVALACHE would have a more mixed reaction, but hey. Let me know what you thought! 


End file.
